The Apricot Centre, Full Permaculture Design Course

The 12 day course is run on Saturdays and Sundays through the winter 2016 to summer 2017 allowing time to study in between weekends. A place is booked on receipt of a £50 deposit.

Each year between October to June, we run the course in bite size chunks so that you can digest the information, and read and watch youtubes in between the sessions. We organise you into local study “guilds” so that you can meet up with your peers to give the course more structure.

The permaculture course is set on a permaculture designed commercially running farm and we visit other local livestock farms as well as a part of the training. WE have very strong links with the local permaculture community so you can see a wealth of sites / designs that range from the tiny garden, community garden, buildings, whole communities (Old Hall), farms and business models in action.

The course will cover

· Permaculture principles and ethics
· Renewable energy and sustainable building
· Simple vegetable growing and fruit growing
· Forest gardening
· Simple livestock management
· Transition movement
· Design skills
· Visits to inspirational sites

All delivered with creative and practical teaching methods.

Marina O’Connell is a Horticulturist and for 25 years has trained people in sustainable food systems originally at Dartington Halls’ School Farm, then Suffolk Agricultural college and now at the Apricot Centre in North Essex. She also runs a 4-acre, organic market garden growing fruit, flowers salads and preserves, all sold into the Growing Communities Farmers Market in Stoke Newington, Hackney. The farm is organic and a demonstration permaculture site. Marina is a permaculture diploma teacher and tutor and designer and is a part of the Transition Stour Valley group on the edge of the beautiful Dedham Vale

http://www.apricotcentre.co.uk/events/courses-and-events